Tobacco receptacle



Nov. 21, 1933. .L .1. FITZGERALD 1,935,840

TOBACCO RECEPTACLE med Nov. 5. 1931 l :LS

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A TTORNE Y Patented Nov. 21, 1933 Y y UNiTEo l STATES PATENT orricETOBACCO RECEPTACLE Application November 5,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in receptacles of the pocket typefor smoking tobacco.

Such receptacles are usually in the form of a substantially oblong tinbox of a size to conveniently fit in the users pocket and havingk ahinged cover, the tobacco being packed in a wrapper within the box. l

In using such tobacco boxes the smoker opens the hinged top and eitherunfolds or tears off the top of the wrapper so that the tobacco can beloosened and poured into a pipe or cigarette paper when the box istilted suiciently. The hinged cover usually fits around the top of thebox but the closure is not air tight and the tobacco dries when carriedin the pocket in such boxes or when kept on store shelves, whereas it ismost desirable for an enjoyable smoke to have the tobacco moist.

Receptacles of the above type are also sometimes made telescopicallycollapsible in two sections so that as the tobacco is used the sectionscan be telescoped to reduce the size of the receptacle in proportion tothe amount of tobacco therein so that the top surface of the tobacco isdisposed at or near the top of the receptacle. My invention isapplicable whether the receptacle be made telescopically collapsible orin one piece.

An important object of my invention is to provide in connection withreceptacles of the above type, a compartment into which moistened ele.

ments can be inserted to keep the tobacco moist and/or impart aflavoring thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom for receptaclesof the above type having a compartment with openings to permit moisturefrom a humidifying or flavoring element inthe compartment to pass intothe tobacco within the receptacle to maintain the tobacco in a moistenedcondition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom for tobaccoreceptacles of the above type having a dispensing opening therethrough,and a closure movable over and away from said opening, whereby the usermay dispense tobacco from the receptacle directly into his pipe or acigarette paper without opening the hinged cover on the top of thereceptacle.

It is an important purpose of the invention to accomplish the foregoingand other objects of the invention, which will be hereinafter referredto, without altering or changing the existing structure and style ofpocket tins. In fact, the invention may be practiced in connection withexisting pocket tins without especially constructing apparatus forforming and uniting the main parts of the tin, thus improving themwithout 1931. Serial No. 573,254

noticeably increasing the cost of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional Viewthrough a pocket tin embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryk perspective View of the bottom of the lowerportion of the receptacle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical central sectional view of a pocket tinshowing another feature of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of thereceptacle shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, theV numeral 6 designates the walls of asubstantially oblong pocket tin having adjacent its upper end a bead '7.The cover 8 is hinged at 9, in well known manner, to the body of thereceptacle, and has a depending flange 10, which terminates at the topof the bead 7, when the receptacle is closed. The lower end of the body6, is flanged as at 11, and the outer edge of the bottom 12 is bentaround the portion 11 as at 13 in known manner to secure the bottom tothe receptacle by a tight seam. The bottom has a depending flange 14 incontact with the lower portion of the body 6 so that the bottom properis disposed above the bead 13.

The structure just described is typical of most pocket tins, and, ashereinbefore mentioned, the tobacco is packed in a wrapper which fitswithin the receptacle between the bottom 12 and the top. Unless thewrapper is made of material which will prevent the escapement ofmoisture and is very tightly sealed to provide an air tight closure, thetobacco therein will soon lose its moisture content, especially whenkept in dry places. Even if the wrapper is tightly sealed and thetobacco is purchased in moist condition, when the wrapper is opened thetobacco is exposed to atmosphere conditions and/or body temperature whencarried in the pocket so that it soon becomes dry and will not rollwellin a cigarette nor pack well in the bowl of a pipe.

VI have found that by providing a closure which will fit around the bead13 at the bottom of the can, a compartment 15 can readily be provided inthe lower end of the can, and when the bottom l2 which forms the top ofthis compartment is perforated as at 16, the wrapper can be readilypierced to expose the tobacco contained therein to the atmosphericcondition prevailing in the compartment 15 so that by inserting in thecompartment l5 a moistened element such as a piece of absorbent materialof any kind saturated with water, or even a piece of fresh apple peelwhich imparts not only moisture but an excellent flavor, the tobacco canbe kept moist until used up. It is preferable to have the bottom closurefor the compartment 15 movable, so that the humidifying elementcontained in the compartment can be readily remoistened or renewed.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the closure 17can readily be formed from a sheet of metal fashioned to conform to thesize and shape of the bead 13, and provided with flanges 18 at bothsides and at one end of the slide to engage the sides of the bead 13,and thus slidably mount the closure on the bottom of the can. The end 19of the closure is not provided with a, flange but frictionally engagesrthe bottom surface of the bead 13 at one end of the can, while theflange 18 at the other end of the closure con-v stitutes a stop, asclearly shown in Fig. 1, where the closure is disposed completely overthe bead to close the compartment 15.

It is within the scope of the invention to-vary the depth of thecompartment 15 by varying the lengths of the portions 14 and should thereceptacle be made without theusual beaded joint 13 to provide on thebottom of the can means or elements to receive the flanges 18 of theclosure 17.

With the type of receptacle shown in Fig. 1 when the top yis opened andtobacco dumped therefrom, it is quite usual that more than is desiredfor a pipe load or the making of a cigarette falls from the can when itis tilted, Yand I have found that when my invention is applied toreceptacles of this type, a portion of the bottompreferablyapproximately corresponding to the size of the usual pipe bowl openingcan be cut out so that when the closure 17 is movedback from said cutoutportion the user can 'dispense tobacco by simply holding the can overthe pipe bowl until the proper amount of tobacco has been dispensed.This is accomplished under the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5wherein the lbottom 12 is secured by the anged bead 13 to the receptacle6. The bottom 12' has an opening 20 at one end preferably of the sizeabove mentioned andthe opening is provided by removing a portion of thebottom and preferably at the same time bending up a flange 21 across thecompartment in the bottom of the can. The flange 21 forms one end of thecompartment 15 which compartment correspondsto the compartment l5 and isprovided with the perforations 16'. It will be apparent that the flange21 is a part of that portion of the bottom which is cut away to providethe opening 20 and is preferably of a length substantially correspondingto the depth of the compartment 15', so that as will be apparent fromFigs. 4 and 5, the humidifying or flavoring material or element placedin Vcompartment 15 will'not move over and obstruct the opening 20 whenthe closure 17 is moved to expose the opening 20. I prefer to leave aportionl 22 of the bottom along the side wall of the receptacle aroundlthe opening 20.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that in manufacturing a pockettin or tobacco receptacle embodying my invention, that the manuywrapperat these points.

tened and the wrapper perforated so that it would come into the smokershands in that condition. On -the other hand, the manufacturer couldsimply provide the package with the tobacco therein and leave it to thesmoker to meisten the humidifying insert or to place therein someflavoring element.

The same is true with respect to the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5,only that the manufacturer of the receptacle would stamp out the bottomplate 12 with the perforations 16 and the opening 20. In connection withthis package the user could break or cut out that portion of the wrapperwhich covers the opening 20 and perforate the wrapper through theopenings 16' unless the manufacturer has already perforated the In usingthe package the smoker will loosen the tobacco at the opening 20, holdthe can in one hand and his pipe in the other hand beneath the opening2O and shake the tobacco directly into the bowl. It would notl benecessary to break the Wrapper at the top of the receptacle. It willalso be noticed that the closure 17 can be moved freely to cover anduncover the opening 20 or to give access to the compartment -15 withoutdisplacing the humidifying or flavoring element contained in thecompartment.

' It would be preferable to have the perforations 16 of such a size thatthe tobacco would not readily sift therethrough. The size and number ofthe perforations is optional. l

I claim: f

l. A pocket tobacco receptacle of the character described having abottom secured between the walls of the receptacle above the lower endsof said walls, a dispensingl opening in said bottom adjacent one side ofthe receptacle, a member depending from said bottom at one side of saidlopening between oposite walls of the receptacle,

vsaid member being of Vsubstantially the same length as the distancebetween the bottom and the lower end of the receptacle, and a closuremounted at said end of the receptacle and providing a compartmentbetween said member, bottom and walls of the receptacle, said closurebeing movable to cover and uncover said dispensing opening. f i 2.Apocket tobacco receptacle having a hinged cover and a bottom secured tothe walls of the receptacle by a crimped bead, said bottom beingdisposed within the walls and above the lower ends thereof, a dispensingopening in one end of the bottom, a flange depending from the bottom onone side of the opening,and a closure having a marginal flange slidablyengaging said crimped bead and providing a compartment below the bottomat one side of said dispensing opening.

JAMES J. FITZGERALD

